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Author
Topic: Diarrhea..... (Read 6516 times)

It is rare I have a solid bowel movement. I have loose stools all the time which makes it rough since I had a syphcterotomy already. The diarrhea doesnt hurt, non acidic just inconvenient & uncomfortable. Im really getting sick of it. Im assuming its because of the Atripla but im sick of it....any advice or is this the way it is? Ive been on atripla for 3 yrs.

If you have diarrhea all of the time is there a reason you're not taking something for this? What has been your doctor's reaction? I would have it all of the time if I didn't take medicine for it, and have had to do so for at least 15 years.

Ive tried immodium but its only a temporary fix. I ask my hiv dr about it but he acts as if its an expected side effect with no resolve.

Some HIV patients have diarrhea issues that can only be solved by a temporary fix. It's up to you to decide whether or not you prefer to have liquid shit perpetually or pop a pill for it. Like I said, I've had to take medicine for it for 15 years -- and mine is bad enough that I take more pills for diarrhea than I do for HIV. I take seven pills per day for HIV, and 12 for diarrhea. It is what it is.

btw, just last month the FDA approved a new med called fulyzaq to treat diarrhea specific to HIV. I've not tried it yet but you may wish to mention this to your physician.

Probiotics may be of some help , it works for me somewhat . Imodium is something that is harmless and effective for some people , its not like popping a pill that's going to hurt your liver or kidneys . If it works for you and you can afford it I would take it before I lived with the shits .

In terms of cost, depending on how the patient obtains their other meds, it's usually effective for daily treatment of diarrhea to have a prescription for loperamide (generic immodium, twice the milligram of over the counter).

Also, can we assume your doctor screened you with a poop test already?

I would approach your doctor again...I have been on Atripla for about 3 years and have never had a problem with diarrhea....

One thing with doctors I have learned... the squeaky wheel gets the oil... My doc knows that I am going to make my issues known and that I am going to keep making them known (in a growingly forceful way) if she does not address them in an appropriate and timely manner.

One thing I make clear to my doc is that she works for me - not the other way around. With the $$ she and the clinic make from my copays and insurance reimbursements, there is no reason not to get quality care and resolution to any presenting issues.

Hope you get some resolution. No reason to have to deal with a side effect such as diarrhea on an ongoing basis.

seems I can never pass up a poop thread... I avoid imodium as it makes me gassy (runny and gassy are just not a good combination)

1. As has been mentioned, try a probiotic 30 minutes before every meal. This has helped me a lot.

2. Try going on a basic diet for a week (rice, simple veggies, non spicy meats) and see if it improves. For me, I found that too much lactose is a very bad thing, jalapenos are a very bad thing, and pho (Vietnamese soup) is murder. n the lactose side of things, they put milk products in just about everything now a days. Avoiding mild and lactose can be difficult.

If this is addressed to me . . . only confirmed in 96. And yes that "call in" test was very much so available. The shock of my life. Before that, just a matter of conjecture, going back to old medical records and monogamous partner turning out negative.

During my Viracept days it was the fifty yard dash to the bathroom door. While I still check out the whereabouts of the nearest bathroom wherever I may be I find an occasional Immodium is always helpful, especially during travel. I don't need it nearly as often anymore.

I was always a big milk drinker and I switched to low fat, and then Lactose free milk which helped and then soy milk but the best switch I made was to almond milk. I love it, the original and chocolate flavors (don't care for the vanilla) and I have been more firm down there of late.

Good luck with your poop issue.

Jody

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"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world". "Try to discover that you are the song that the morning brings."

I remember taking something in the 90's , I think it was Viracept or it could have been an earlier drug but I remember the doctor cheerfully writing the script and being equally cheery when I called the office asking how I was going to be able to bartend with diarrhea running down my leg . That cheery doctor pissed me off and when my friend made some joke about me being pissed and shit at the same time I wasn't having it .

Early on I had such a tough time with medications it was hard for me to except that there was ever going to be something that worked to treat HIV that wasn't going to make you so sick aids started sounding good again as compared to the meds to treat it .

You won't find out the true issue of diarrhea with your primary care doctor, quit wasting your money and time. Be seen by a Gastroenterologist to have an EDG and Colonoscopy to find the root of your problem as I did.

I've lived with HIV disease for 30 years this month and taken more medications than most, yes, some meds causes diarrhea, in most cases it's something else.

MilburnCreek

I have not (as far as I know) had med-related diarrhea, but I have had loose, creamy, and pain-in-the-ass-to-clean-up afterwards bowels which i assumed were due to aging. Since I prefer to handle medical problems with food/nutrition as a first line of defense, I changed my diet:

One LARGE fresh salad (largest portion on my plate) with EVERY dinner;One container of Yoghurt EVERY night before bed.Cut out ALL Fried food (sautťed in olive oil OK)Cut out all junk and fast food.

I already take Loperamide (get 100/mo). Buy from the pharmy more genericotc Loperamide, stay away from wheat bread. Almost everyday I toast some fake wheat bread (honey wheat or good white bread) throw a couple slices of Am. cheese on for a sammy to dip into the yogurt I try to get in everyday.

Diarrhea not so much my problem but my goal, for a long time, is to at leasthave a nice firm movement...should'nt be to much to ask for.

good luck

Logged

"We all think and feel differently as the years go by" Thank you, Grey Gardens.

This is exactly what I needed to read. I started Complera 2 days ago & seriously, this poop thing is driving me crazy. Previously, I would poop maybe every other day? Or once a day. But nowhere near these watery shits that are going down now.

Granted, I eat a terrible diet. I mostly eat fast food and mostly once a day. However, I make sure to have the minimum calorie requirement with my medication since Complera requires at least 450 calories per serving when taking it. Previously, I have been able to maintain my weight around 200lbs or so [I'm 6foot] just by the diet I was doing. I understand it may not be the healthiest, but it worked for me.

Do I now have to switch my diet up to prevent having to go boom boom all the friggin' time?! I know I won't adhere to some nutritionist diet. I know myself & my body. I rarely eat greens & veggies. I feel like maybe imodium is my only option.

This is exactly what I needed to read. I started Complera 2 days ago & seriously, this poop thing is driving me crazy. Previously, I would poop maybe every other day? Or once a day. But nowhere near these watery shits that are going down now.

Granted, I eat a terrible diet. I mostly eat fast food and mostly once a day. However, I make sure to have the minimum calorie requirement with my medication since Complera requires at least 450 calories per serving when taking it. Previously, I have been able to maintain my weight around 200lbs or so [I'm 6foot] just by the diet I was doing. I understand it may not be the healthiest, but it worked for me.

Do I now have to switch my diet up to prevent having to go boom boom all the friggin' time?! I know I won't adhere to some nutritionist diet. I know myself & my body. I rarely eat greens & veggies. I feel like maybe imodium is my only option.

My only problem with Immodium is that it tends to swing the pendulum in the exact opposite direction. Having diarrhea is awful. I am not sure that being bound up like a stressed eggbound parrot for days and days until giving birth to a toddler is a profound improvement.

Hate to suggest it, but it might be time to revisit the diet. The more you can do without throwing more pills down, the better your experience. HIV basically makes it's base camp in the gut, and the meds used to treat it often disrupt the gut's ability to create stability. Sort of a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

If there is any way, any way at all, you could cut down a tad on the fast/fried stuff, and get more natural (or hell, unnatural) fiber in your system, you might find that it makes the transition period with Complera way more tolerable. I know, I know.

I've had to totally overhaul my diet since testing positive. Upside is, I can cook really well by now.

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"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

If you've only had a problem since you have been on meds that's a good reason to try something else. Your doctor probably won't suggest it if he thinks you are coping with it. But if you tell him it's become too much of a problem and want to try and find a solution he should happily look at changing your meds.